Citation

El Mendelek M, Sabek B, Nassar E, El Khoury Malhame M, Khoury J. Transp. Res. F Traffic Psychol. Behav. 2023; 97: 278-290.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.trf.2023.07.010

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Transportation safety continues to be a daily challenge as it results in enormous losses to human life and to the economy. This research targets safe mobility at intersections in an urban setting by analyzing drivers' behavior at the stop bar during red-light phases with an unprecedented focus on drivers' psychological and demographic attributes. To do so, three main scenarios are utilized to test drivers' responses using a state-of-the-art driving simulator, which include pedestrians crossing the crosswalk, police enforcement personnel and adjacent driver encroaching on the stop bar promoting the imitation behavior. A survey assessing demographics, including standardized questionnaires for individual psychological traits and driving rituals is used to complement the simulator experience for a total of 178 participants. Real life observations and monitoring at intersections are conducted to confirm drivers' behaviors with respect to stopping at the stop bar in the presence of various triggers. Our results show that younger males with a history of at least one severe accident are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior such as speeding and committing violations. Participants scoring high on the Attitudes Towards Traffic Safety and Driving Behavior Survey scales are safer drivers who show more concern about traffic laws. High scores on mindfulness and agreeableness (Big Five Personality Inventory) are associated with less violations whereas extraversion and neuroticism linked with impulsivity and frustration are associated with higher acceleration rates and overall speed. Taken together, driving scenarios and psychological variables better profile differential safe driving behaviors. Thus, it could be highly effective to include trainings for mindfulness and emotional management in addition to driving risk-awareness to enhance safe driving behavior and focus on improving the existing driving education system by focusing on young drivers' attitudes towards safety as it has shown to impact their actual driving behavior.

Language: en

Keywords

Driving behavior; Driving simulator; Imitation behavior; Pedestrians; Personality traits; Police enforcement; Signalized intersections; Transportation safety